


Heroes of the War

by Sparky_Stark



Series: Songfics [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, percy jackson - Fandom
Genre: I am now sixteen, I don't know what the story actually is, I haven't bothered betaing, I haven't read it for a long time, If it's rubbish I'm sorry, Percy is bitter after the war, Song fic, Wrote this when I was fourteen, good luck, have fun, hero of War by rise Against, please comment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-18
Updated: 2013-11-18
Packaged: 2018-01-01 23:58:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1050127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparky_Stark/pseuds/Sparky_Stark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A songfic to Hero of War by Rise Against. Really not sure what I actually wrote, it was years ago.<br/>Percy is very bitter after the war and, well, yeah.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heroes of the War

**He said, "Son, have you seen the world? Well, what would you say if I said that you could? Just carry this gun; you'll even get paid" I said, "That sounds pretty good"**

That’s all I was, they needed me to kill, they never cared. They offered me a way out, told me I’d get to know who my father was. They told me that I wasn’t alone, there were more people like me and I’d get to see them, that I’d be part of something better, something bigger than I had ever imagined. That part was true; I was part of something bigger, something that got people killed.

I was told I would go on adventures, see the world, do something good. I thought it sounded great, dangerous, but great.

They acted like a family, like I mattered. Then I turned 16 and that stupid prophecy changed everything. They wanted me to fight, to lead... to kill. To kill someone who used to matter to me, who once cared about people I cared about. They told me to take the sword and I’d be a hero. I was so naive.

**Black leather boots, spit shined so bright. They cut off my hair but it looks alright. We marched and we sang. We all became friends as we learned how to fight.**

We had been trained. We had our armour. We had our orders. It wouldn’t be long now. The air was filled with a tense silence around the campfire, no one felt like doing anything, they were all too tense, wondering who’s faces they would be seeing for the last time. Wondering if... if I could save them, my friends. The people I learned with, the ones that I depend on, the ones that I care about. We sparred together, won together, lost together. We’ve fought and got through it all... barely. I already felt responsible for Bianca’s death, I didn’t know if I could face having more lives on my shoulders. I could hardly handle it when Nico looked at me like a murderer, what about the rest of the world, what about Annabeth. What if someone she loved died and I could’ve helped them, even if she did forgive me, could I ever forgive myself? I’ve spent 4 years, 4 summers, training with these people, getting to know them. I couldn’t lead them to their deaths.

I stood from my place at the campfire. The sudden noise and movement caught everyone’s attention. All eyes on me; their leader. Their broken, messed up and almost crazy leader. Some of them looked scared, others barbaric and baying for blood. I tried to look away from those people.

I was scared, shaking visibly. I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see a mass of blonde hair looking up at me. “Percy.” She whispered.

“I can’t. I can’t do this. We’re friends, family, I can’t lead them to their deaths.”

“They know what they’re doing, they know how to fight. They need you to lead them Percy. I need you to lead us.” Annabeth told me. She started singing, the Apollo cabin followed suit. Soon enough they were all singing, all around me voices filled the air. I smiled and joined in the chorus. “I'm a survivor, I'm not goin' give up, I'm not goin' stop, I'm goin' work harder, I'm a survivor, I'm goin'na make it, I will survive, Keep on survivin'” **  
******  
_A hero of war, yeah that's what I'll be_

**_And when I come home they'll be damn proud of me_ **

**_I'll carry this flag to the grave if I must_ **

**_'Cause it's the flag that I love and a flag that I trust_** **  
** ****  
I kicked in the door, I yelled my commands, The children they cried but I got my man, We took him away, a bag over his face, From his family and his friends

“GO!” I shouted. Most people scattered, a few remained. “Now!” the anger in my voice made them flee, I was not letting anything more happen to them. They had lost siblings and friends and leaders and warriors. The younger campers were crying, scratch that, almost everyone was crying. Even if Luke was dead now, there was no guarantee that the monsters wouldn’t continue to attack. My steps were long and purposeful as I made my way over to the boy I had once called friend.

I collapsed onto my knees and dropped my sword. “Why?” I whispered. I out my head in my hands and started crying. I was no hero, not the hero they want anyway. I killed him, and so, so many others. I don’t know how long I was there. I just kept replaying Luke plunging the knife into his own body again and again and again.

We were children fighting a war, we were crying, but I had to move on. I had my man, he was dead now. I used two fingers to close Luke’s eyes then covered his face. I carried him back to camp but I took the long way.

 _I_ had done this. If I’d just have died, or never been born the prophecy would never have come to pass, Luke would be alive and Annabeth wouldn’t be dying. I had taken Luke away from his friends, and now I was carrying him away from his allies, his face covered for I fear that otherwise the guilt would overwhelm me. I was a coward. But they were all proud of me.

**They took off his clothes, they pissed in his hands, I told them to stop but then I joined in, we beat him with guns and batons, not just once but again and again**

I got back to camp an hour later. All the campers, the ones still alive anyway, were stood just inside the entrance to camp. All of them looked up at me at the same time, then to the body in my arms. Some of the older campers teared up at the sight of the dead boy? Man? Monster? In my arms. Other’s eyes hardened with hatred and blood lust. Chiron stepped out of the crowed and took Luke from my arms. I was about ready to collapse with exhaustion but I couldn’t, there was too much to do and... and... My eyes started to droop, my body started to sway on the spot. Someone came to my side and threw my arm around their neck holding me upright. I tried to tell them I didn’t need it but whoever it was ignored me and dragged me over to my cabin. By this I figured it was someone I was fairly close to, Nico or maybe Thalia, I was too out of it to recognise the person or their gender. The person put me on my bed. “Go to sleep Percy; you’ve done enough.”

The next day I found most of the campers having an argument about what to do with Luke, obviously the final decision was not down to them. I told them to stop, we’ve just fought in a war we don’t need another fight, no matter how little it was. But they weren’t listening. I heard someone saying that they should piss on his body and burn it, he didn’t deserve anything less. I joined in the argument; he died a hero even if he didn’t always live like one.

He helped us win the war, against himself.

**_A hero of war, yeah that's what I'll be_ **

**_And when I come home they'll be damn proud of me_ **

**_I'll carry this flag to the grave if I must_ **

**_'Cause it's a flag that I love and a flag that I trust_ **

**She walked through bullets and haze, I asked her to stop, I begged her to stay, but she pressed on, so I lifted my gun and I fired away**

**And the shells jumped through the smoke, And into the sand that the blood now had soaked, she collapsed with a flag in her hand, A flag white as snow**

**_A hero of war is that what they see_ **

**_Just medals and scars, so damn proud of me_ **

**_And I brought home that flag, now it gathers dust_ **

**_But it's a flag that I love, it's the only flag I trust_** **  
** ****  
He said, "Son, have you seen the world? Well, what would you say if I said that you could?"

Now? I would say no.

 

****  
  



End file.
